Irish captain William Porterfield welcomed confirmation of the match, saying: “It’s fantastic news for Irish cricket. It’s going to be a bit special and it’s always great to be a part of history.

“There’s a special affinity between ourselves and Pakistan going back to the 2007 World Cup and they’ve been regular tourists here over the past decade.

“Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport and I know how much this game will mean to not only the players but all involved with Irish cricket. It’ll be another step on what has been an incredible journey for our sport in a relatively short passage of time.”

The exact date and venue for the match — agreed during an ICC meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, this week — have yet to be confirmed.

Cricket has been played in Ireland for nearly 200 years but it was not until 1969 that they made the rest of the world game take true notice when they bowled out the West Indies for just 25 at Sion Mills in a televised match.

Ireland have since established themselves during the course of several World Cups, recording one-day international wins over Pakistan, the West Indies and England.

Afghanistan and Ireland joined an exclusive club that also includes Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.